James's Journal

Hmm.. it's not exactly that I disbelieve people who claim to have seen large wild cats in the UK, it's just that as a scientist, I would tend towards waiting for evidence.. However, on the train earlier, I'd swear I saw a huge cat in a field.. it was walking along a hedgerow, far larger than a domestic cat (it looked closer to jaguar size), black, and it was definitely a cat because it was slinking. Only cats slink. It's a shame I only saw it for a second, because it looked really cool.. Still, it's not too hard for me to believe.. I quite like the idea that there are still big cats in the wild in the UK :o)

Today has been quite a shit day thus far, to be honest.. trains were rubbish, and then apparently bailiffs have been around to try and collect £413.69 that Brighton and Hove Council have convinced themselves that I owe.. In spite of reassurances by phone six months ago that I was all paid up, they've since decided that actually no, I have to pay extra money. And yet, I call them, and once again they're like "oh no, you're paid up, it's fine".. Great.. Because I really do love the stress..

Still, it should be all sorted now, so I can concentrate on the next six hours of sitting at my desk working, which is unlikely to lower my background stress levels.. And one of the main drawbacks of being the most calm person I know is that once I get stressed, I lack the appropriate mechanisms to deal with it, since it happens so infrequently that I haven't worked them out yet. Have I mentioned yet how uncomfortable it is to type with shaking hands? Bah..

So yes, even though everything is fine, I'm still worked up.. Probably should have stayed in bed..

liked urs

hi, i enjoyed reading ur posts, especially the one about the pregnant woman in debt. i think i'm starting to like this journal thingie, but at times it seems a bit personal, and it feels wierd writing to ppl u dont know. or maybe that's just me. anyway, you can come by look at my lil miserable post, and say what's missing, or post sum kind of comment. thnx for the attention:-)

I saw a big cat a couple of years ago at my parents'. Not saying it was wild, could just have escaped or something.

Looked out the window and at the bottom of the field about 200 yards away was what I thought to be a big black labrador, right size for one and was sat on its haunches in the right manner. Saw it get up to move and it didn't look right. So I legged it down to have a look and from about 30feet away saw it slink (like you say) up the train embankment, sit down, turn and stare right at me. I'd like to think I'm not a complete loon, and at 30feet you get a damned good look. Very cool it was. Just wish I'd had a camera. Or a big net..